To See With Eyes Untainted
by 1412 karasu
Summary: Naruto's gone back in time, only this time, he's stuck in Itachi's head with no discernable way out. As for Itachi, he gains a strange inner voice calling himself 'Ko' and a protector he never knew he needed...
1. To Try Again

If you would believe it, I actually have the whole story and its' sequel planned out. know, right? AMAAAAZZIIINGGG.

I'm calling it the 'Waters Churning… Chronicles? Series?' (whatever).

I decided to write this because I love Itachi. 3 Please excuse the generic prologue, I hate those so much as well (hence the lack of detail). Chapter one will be out in like 30 minutes.

* * *

><p><strong>To See With Eyes Untainted<strong>

**.**

_**.Prologue.**_

.

_When the world says, "Give up,"_

_Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."_

_~Unknown Author_

* * *

><p><em>Rain…<em>

It fell hard, obscuring his vision and weakening his hold on the muddy ground.

_Destruction…_

Around him lie the ruins of Konoha, his beloved place that once housed his most precious of people. Now, though, there was rot and the faint reminder of long-ago memories, of times spent laughing and talking without a care in the world.

_Blood…_

Both the teen and the man were breathing heavily, their blood and the blood of their opponents splattered on their clothing. The boy's left leg was shot, ripped by many a kunai and the unbelievable power of the Rinnegan.

_Breathe…._

His breath came out in visible puffs of air. **"Tobi…"**

The man, forsaken of his mask, snarled silently. **"Naruto…"**

_Hope..._

Finally, he was in the correct position. The boy saw his marker; his picture of Team 7. He collapsed on the ground in front of it and, contracting his hand to grip the picture slightly, he slammed his right hand onto the ground, calling upon the Seal of Time.

_Fading…_

A large array suddenly lit up, points crisscrossing at places where he had marked during his battle. All the markers were his most precious objects; pictures, gifts… And in the very center of the array he crouched, his left leg sprawled beneath him. Slowly, he began to disappear.

_Last words._

His opponent's Rinnegan eye (for his Sharingan had long been ripped out, courtesy of one Haruno Sakura) widened, and he sprinted forward. But his approach slowed, encountering a barrier that he could not surmount. The boy looked up, his eyes feral, and he grinned.

**"Fuck you."**

And he was gone.


	2. To Wait

Kept my promise!~ Don't act so surprised.

Sorry this chapter is so sucky, as I said before, I hate beginnings, and this time skip was a bitch, as nothing non-canonical (is that a word?) happened. I swear it will get better once the introductions are done!

* * *

><p><strong>To See With Eyes Untainted<strong>

.

**_.Vision 1._**

**_._**

_We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us._  
><em>Joseph Campbell<em>

* * *

><p>Naruto had it all planned out.<p>

He would go back in time, kick Madara's ass when he was still exponentially weaker, defeat Akatsuki, and guide his village to happiness. Before the Battle, he had spent many an hour daydreaming his eventual inauguration to the Hokage position. Unfortunately…

He watched helplessly behind the eyes of the Kyuubi, as it ripped out of his mothers' stomach. He could hear its' thoughts, grinding against his own, screaming for blood and revenge. Then the Sharingan took away the Kyuubi's thoughts, and to him, it was almost a relief as the noise stopped.

He tried not to look as one by one, people fought and died before him. He wept silently as his beautiful village was once again torn apart before him, helpless. _"Let me out!"_ he screamed, _"Let me out of here!"_ But to no avail.

And then, the Yondaime came. His father, his wonderful, unselfish, loving father, who took him away from the horror and destruction the Kyuubi had caused.

But even then, horror awaited him, as he watched his parents sacrifice everything for Konoha… For _him._ His tears blurred his vision as they shared proud smiles at their baby, even impaled by a great chakra claw.

He felt the seal then, tightening around his soul, and knew that soon, it would be over. Briefly, he wondered how he would manage trapped inside the cage alongside the Kyuubi, but at that moment he did not care.

"_Thank you…"_ He whispered, and he fancied he saw the Yondaime react to his words, a look of confusion flashing across his face. But then Naruto was gone, and he knew no more.

.

Itachi was scared.

He did not show it, instead acting as the responsible older brother he strove to be, rocking little Sasuke back and forth in his arms. Evil chakra rippled over him in waves, and he suppressed the need to shake in fear. He clutched Sasuke a little tighter, and prayed to the creator he never believed in that his parents would be home soon.

And then, he saw it-a flashing light, coming from where the Kyuubi was, miles away. It zoomed towards Konoha, and he found himself squinting to identify it. Sharingan whirling, he caught a glimpse of a golden-haired man.

But then, it was coming towards _him_, and he stumbled back, trying to get away.

It was too late though, and it smashed into his forehead.

He knew no more.

.

The medic nin proclaimed that nothing was wrong; that, perhaps, Itachi had been mistaken.

But Itachi knew he was right, that there was something…. _Lurking _in his mind, growing stronger every passing day.

He researched what he could, when he could, but found nothing. Slowly, he grew to ignore the pulsing behind his forehead. He redirected his energies more positively, helping in the restoration of his beloved village and the raising of his new brother.

Time flew by, and it was now exactly year since the attack, and Itachi no longer thought much of the foreign presence. The festival of the Kyuubi was in full swing, but he was never one to celebrate and socialize.

He lay of the head of the Fourth throughout the night, and it was there when the being inside his head woke up.

_"Where... am I?"_

Immediately, he stood up, looking for the source of the noise. "Show yourself." He commanded, though he supposed his high-pitched voice did not sound very commanding.

"… _You have GOT to be kidding me."_

It was then Itachi realized that the voice came from inside his head. Eyes widening, he whispered, "You're the light…"

The voice didn't reply to Itachi's words, instead releasing a string of explicatives that would make the most hardened of anbu blush.

Itachi sat back down into a meditative position. He knew what he had to do. Previous trips into his mindscape had not been fruitful, but he had a feeling that now the being was awake, he would find the answers to his questions.

He closed his eyes, and fell into his mindscape.


	3. To Be Met With Surprise

Wow, I've gotten surprisingly awesome feedback. I got 6 reviews, 12 favorites and 27 alerts for this story and ME! (homg you are _awesome_ for favoriting/alerting MEEEE~~~~ Come over and let Karasu-chama give you a hug.) Looking at the small amount of actual VIEWERS, I love you guys. :D

Also, **Shionosekai, Savvywolf, Ciel Blanche, Starfire Sharon, elyzmaki, **and **SavvyEnigma** now hold a very special place in my heart for reviewing.

Sorry 'bout the wait! Please tell me if I get their mannerisms right, and I would love feedback on how to improve!

(xD The quote is really long!)

Since I forgot! **Disclaimer: **Me no own Naruto because me no is bootiful drawer or magnificent basterd. Masashi Kishimoto is very much owner of Naruto.

(Your eyes bleeding yet? Or do you want me to shut up now?)

* * *

><p><strong>To See With Eyes Untainted<strong>

**.**

**_.Vision 2._**

**.**

_"Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable."_

_― Arthur Conan Doyle, Th_e Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes__

* * *

><p>The sky was a crimson red and marred by black clouds.<p>

Itachi did not like his mindscape much. It was a reminder of all his sins, the sins that kept him up at night, that made him hesitant to touch his precious little brother, afraid to besmirch his innocence with his blood-soaked fingers. _I've always been a prodigy._ He thought, mockingly.

His feet made squelching noises as he walked over the bloody battlefield, following his instincts to find the source of the foreign presence in his mind. As he walked, he could feel himself getting closer and closer, the beings' presence becoming so strong that he actually tripped and, had it not been for a nearby tree, would have fallen onto the burnt corpse of a Rock-nin.

He came upon a new place in his mindscape. Though, he supposed, it could not really be considered part of _his_ mindscape, because he was quite positive there had never been a metal grille on his battlefield.

He wanted to investigate the new section of his (or rather, his new mind-mates') mind, but instead he drew his attention to the blonde teenager who was perched casually on top of a tall pillar.

The blue-eyed man sat up straighter when he saw him, his eyes widening minutely.

"_Itachi_?"

Said boy quirked his eyebrows and ignored the incredulous tone of the man's voice. "Who are you, how do you know me, and what are you doing in my mind?"

But the teen ignored his question like Itachi had just done, and instead muttered, "Itachi, Itachi, it _had_ to be Itachi. Sure, I realized I was stuck in some guys' mindscape, and the sky looks a little familiar, but… _Itachi?_"

The stranger began to convulse. Itachi, not realizing what was going on, stepped forward in concern for the man's sanity, only to be taken aback when the man began to _laugh._

It wasn't the quiet type of laugh, the one where you chuckle a little at a funny joke, nor the ha-ha-you've-just-been-pranked kind of laugh, but the uncontrollable, insane kind, the one where you can't help but roll around gasping for air kind of laugh.

Of course, rolling wasn't exactly a good idea when on top of a pillar.

So, before Itachi's confused eyes, the man fell, laughing all the way down, before he landed in an unholy crunch that made Itachi wince.

There was silence, as the man (who was completely unharmed, it being a mindscape and all) and the boy stared at each other. Blue met black, startled met shocked.

And then they were both laughing.

Well, _technically, _Itachi didn't really laugh. But he couldn't help the involuntary twitch at the corner of his mouth, nor the puff of air he let out in an attempt to hold back an unseemly snort of amusement towards this ridiculous man. And, to those who knew him, that reaction was as good as if he _was_ laughing like the blonde, and that's all that really mattered.

.

After a while, the man sat up again, wiping stray tears out of his eyes. "S-sorry about that."

"…" Itachi found it hard to collect his thoughts. The blonde stranger was an anomaly, someone who had managed to coax such vivid emotions from him in less than a minute upon meeting him. Despite himself, Itachi felt drawn towards the other.

The teen rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Ha-ha…. Umm… Anyways… I'm going to be camping out in your head for a while, at least until I can find my way out. You don't mind that, right?"

Itachi found it in himself to repeat his earlier questions. "Who are you? How do you know me? Why are you here?"

The older boy's eyes widened. "Oh! Right. Well, you see… I'm from the future. I've come back to change everything, believe it!"

Itachi blinked twice, rapidly. "What?"

"I can't really tell you much about it, sorry. Time paradox and all that. 'Sides, I need to make sure that I only change the important stuff, 'ya know?" The teen grinned, the whiskers on the side of his face crinkling with the pure smile he made.

"… Proof. Where's your proof?" Itachi refused to believe such a ridiculous thing. _But then again…_

"Ehhh? Proof?" The stranger was silent for a second, scratching his head. "What's the date?"

Itachi supplied him with the date, and waited patiently for the teen to figure something out.

"There's not really much going on for a few years… So…" He looked up at Itachi. "Orochimaru found the shed skin of a white snake on top of his parents' graves. It was the beginning of his obsession with immortality. You can confirm with the Sandaime." He nodded his head twice, his arms crossed in front of him, scrunching his face in concentration.

_If he is right… Nobody but Sandaime-sama should know about this… __**if**__ he's right!_ Itachi stared at the teen a little longer, trying to discern a truth that supposedly did not exist.

With a sigh, he gave in. "I will be back once I ask. You better not be lying to me." With one last glare, he backed away, not quite willing to turn his back on the stranger. Then, he dashed away from the clearing, only leaving when he felt that the teen had made no move to follow.

It was only after he had left that he realized that the stranger had not answered a single one of his questions.

* * *

><p>Naruto looked at the spot where Itachi had disappeared from his sight with an amused look on his face.<p>

"Who knew Itachi was such a cute kid."


	4. To Confirm

O.O

…. Oh. My god.

There's a pattern!

1 review, 7 reviews, 15 reviews!

… I wonder if the trend can continue.

…. Probably not.

Thank you so much for reviewing though! I love you all!

**WARNING:** long-ass author's note. Please read at least a little bit of it.

I now have a blog! Here's the link:

eternalmusings. weebly. com (Remove the spaces)

All my updates and stuff will be announced there!

Anyways, sorry for the break, and… I should update soon-ish. I also apologize to all the reviews I did not get back on… I feel suckish, but all of my exams are finally over (as of like, 2 weeks or so ago. -_-' Sorry), so no more studying besides summer homework and training! Hoo-rah!

Without further ado, chapter 3! (Whyyy is this taking so long to start! I wish the good parts happen soon.) Unfortunately, I was stupid, and couldn't come up with anything to prove Naruto's future-ness, so I said the snake thing, which brings up the whole Yamanaka problem. The thing is, I don't want the Hokage to know. I don't want Ita-chan to have his mind looked through, that would take too damn long. So this is my fix-it chapter. After this, there should just be a lot of Naruto-Itachi interaction.

… On a side note, WHYYYYY did you bring back Itachi if you were only going to kill him later? You suck Kishi!

On Hiruzen's age… Since nobody really knows how old he was when he became Hokage, only that he was very young, I am going to say he was 15. Since he was around 69 when he died, I subtracted 12 years (seeing as Naruto is now 1 year old and he was around 13 when Hiruzen died) and 15 years to get the current 42 years in office. After that, I have to take away the amount of time Minato was Hokage. He was Hokage for like, a year. So… 41 years.

**Disclaimer: **I own Itachi! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA COME AND GET ME!

… This chapter sucks, really. . I just want it to be over with! Gugh…. I swear the next one will be better. :)

* * *

><p><strong>To See With Eyes Untainted<strong>

**.**

**_.Vision 3._**

**_._**

_History is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again._

_Kurt Vonnegut, Jr._

* * *

><p>Sarutobi Hiruzen is the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, one of the most powerful hidden nations in all of the Elemental Nations. His roll as the most powerful military leader in Hi no Kuni, as well as his increasingly advanced age, led him to live through many a strange scenario.<p>

It was due to this that he maintained his sangfroid countenance in front of the strangest sight he had seen in a while; a flustered Uchiha. Granted, said Uchiha was only six years old.

"Itachi… calm down, report." He said in his most commanding tone. Usually, he would not use such a tone on a child as young as he, but Sarutobi had long since given up trying to push Itachi toward a normal childhood. Fugaku, damn him, was too stubborn to see beyond his status as an Uchiha to see his son suffering.

Besides, the boy always responded better to direct orders.

As soon as he finished speaking, Sarutobi could physically see a transformation taking place. Immediately, the boy became aware of how unsightly he was, straightening his posture and schooling his face into some semblance of a blank mask.

Absently, Sarutobi wondered how much of the truth he would be told. Fugaku had long since drilled in mistrust of the Hokage into the young boy, he could see it in the garded looks Itachi usually sent him.

"Hokage-sama I… Have something to ask of you," The boy said, twitching as if uncomfortable with the topic, "Your student, Orochimaru. Did he experiment with white snakes?"

Once again, the world succeeded in surprising him. His face froze, the pipe in his mouth drooping slightly.

Itachi, who had been watching intently, paled. Swiftly, he bowed deeply and, muttering his goodbyes, practically ran out of the Hokage's office.

There was silence in the room for a moment. A steely look went over Sarutobi's wizened face, displaying the truly fierce person he had the capability of being. "Inu," He commanded.

Immediately, the ANBU who had been hiding in the shadows jumped in front of him, bowing and holding one hand over his dog mask, the ANBU pose of obedience. "Sir."

"Follow him," Sarutobi said.

The ANBU member stood up and nodded once, sharply. "As you wish, Hokage-sama." With those words, the young man disappeared, leaving the old man to himself.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had been the Hokage of Hi no Kuni for 41 years. Growing older in a ninja society was harsh and unpredictable, and it shaped him into the man he is today. However, even now, after so many years, there are many things he is not prepared for, one situation being a six-year-old prodigy somehow finding out information about an S-Ranked missing nin that he never released to the public.

The third Hokage of Konoha tipped his hat down and sighed.


End file.
